Mosaic Bar and Grill × VanEats: Mosaic Harvest

VanEats Mosaic Harvest Prix Fix Menu

Exam week, the only period of time during the school year where we actually have nothing to prepare for.  To celebrate, a group of us made a reservation to redeem the VanEats passes we purchased months ago. Yes, on a Tuesday night. We're not bad students, we promise! What is VanEats? It is a website that features exclusive dining passes for prix fix menus that are only available with the pre-purchased pass. This particular dining pass was for a beautiful three-course dinner for only $27. That is including tax! Mosaic was also offering a Dine Out Vancouver menu that contained similar dishes, but it costs $38. Lemme hear a "SCORE!!!"

Collectively, it is the Crumpet's fourth time at Mosaic Bar and Grill and the third VanEats dining pass (see here and here). It's no doubt that this restaurant is one of the best in Greater Vancouver. We're probably one of the last bloggers to review this particular Autumn Harvest menu, but nonetheless, we must contribute our praise. Our thoughts for each and every item on the VanEats menu is below!

Complimentary Scones

Shortly after ordering, we were provided with a generous amount of scones. More than we could eat. They were served warm and toasty (looooove!), moist and tender inside. Mmmm~ There was a distinct smoky flavour to the scones; my best guess would be that they were smoked salmon scones. Second best guess would be bacon. These miniature scones were the perfect start to the meal! But since a full dinner was coming up, we tried to limit ourselves. So hard...

Fall Salad

The two Crumpets had the Fall Salad as an appetizer. Thinly sliced raw carrots, beets, turnips, and mixed greens elegantly sat atop smears of tangerine dressing. The vibrant colours make it visually appealing. The green dots were, I think, green onion puree, but it didn't taste like much. Overall, the salad was a bit bland. I would've probably liked the salad a lot more if the dressing was more tangy. It's not a terrible salad, but it isn't one that left a vivid memory.

A la Minute Smoked Skuna Bay Salmon

The A la Minute Smoked Skuna Bay Salmon is a must order when at Mosaic. The accompaniments to the fish change throughout the year, but it a dish we would recommend first comers to try. The texture of the fish is in between sashimi and smoked salmon. No worries, it's completely cooked!  _____ thought the smoked salmon was okay, kind of had an odd smoked taste to it but the wasabi sauce was good pairing with it.

Roasted Chestnut Bisque

While the description sounded delicious, the Roasted Chestnut Bisque was not very well liked. It didn't really suit Clumsy One's taste. She says, "At first I forgot that they pour in the soup later, so when I looked at that pathetic piece of lettuce thing with that brandy cream smeared on the side I thought, "is this it?" Hahaha. Yes, but it was an odd creamy-ish soup." Those with an acquired taste for brandy may enjoy the soup a lot more.

Seared Baja Ocean Wise Scallops

Over half of us had the Seared Baja Ocean Wise Scallops as our main course. 

The Clumsy One's thoughts: "I like the scallops, I wish there were more of them though. The ham was salty but sort of appetizing in a way, and figs I gave away. The sauce didn't really have much flavour on the plate now that I think about it... That's just me though."
 
Mosaic has been praised for their perfect scallops so Coconut Crumpet, being a seafood lover, had high expectations for this dish. Again, the plating was artistic and elegant. The savoury flavours of the four large (not super large) scallops and prosciutto contrasted the sweetness of the sweet potato puree and dried mission figs. I really enjoy the juxtaposition of flavours, textures, and temperature so this entree lived  up to its expections. Even though we thought the prosciutto was too salty, the dish deserves the praise its gotten. Another minor nit-picky suggestion would be that fresh figs would've made the dish even better. Probably will have to wait for summer to get in-season figs. Cue Olaf singing "In Summer". Ahh, we love Frozen~

Grilled Curried Cauliflower Steak

Our waitress made sure Peanut Crumpet knew the Cauliflower Steak wasn't actually steak, as unknowing customers have been disappointed.  This was a disappointing dish as the curry sauce was "salty like the sea". So unfortunately, despite having tasty components like dates and pine nuts, the overly salty sauce ruined the entree. Because of this dish, Peanut Crumpet felt the quality of Mosaic has slightly decreased since last year.

Sous Vide Peace Country Lamb

The third and final entree is the Sous Vide Lamb. Sous vide is a special cooking method in which the cut of meat is sealed in a plastic bag and placed in a hot water bath to cook. This ensures the meat is cooked evenly and yields a super moist result. P ordered it medium; one piece was done to her liking while the other was on the rare side. The raw areas of the second piece wasn't so pleasant for her. She enjoyed the broccoli rabe (aka broccolini).

Pumpkin and Nutmeg Creme Brule

Both desserts were equally as tempting so we ordered two of each! The Pumpkin and Nutmeg Creme Brule was excellent! The custard was thick, creamy, indulgent and had a level of spice that would please those that enjoy warm spices while being mild enough for those that don't to thoroughly enjoy it. The caramelized layer of sugar was not too thick, as when it is thick, the shards can be extremely sharp. It was just enough sugar to satisfy a sweet tooth and round out a meal. The pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) went perfectly with the dessert; I scooped up all the seeds from the platter and dumped them into my creme brule. 

The biscotti/cracker things on the side didn't taste like much at first. But when I went back to them after finishing off my creme brule, their subtle sweetness came out and it kind of helped wash down all the flavours from the meal. Chewy from all the seeds and nuts, I love textural food!

Slice Mosaic Chocolate Cake

The Clumsy One (nickname re-confirmed after the cutlery incident, haha!) doubted me when I told her most people end up packing half of Mosaic's Signature Chocolate Cake home. When dessert was served, the two with the cake even challenged each other to a race to see who could finish their cake first. This massive slice of cake has alternating layers of dense chocolate cake and rich ganache. A thin shell of melted chocolate coats the exterior of the cake, which is hiding at the base. The cake itself is a bit dry, but with the frosting it tasted very good. Some diners have hailed this cake as the best chocolate cake in Vancouver. While it is a pretty good chocolate cake, since the cake was a tinge dry, we don't think it was the best (that's a very subjective term anyways.) When the need to doggy-bag half of the cake home, you will be provided with a sturdy box and a nice bag. Good quality stuff, ya know. Just as a note, a full sized piece of cake, as seen in the photo, is part of the VanEats menu but only a 'mini' slice is offered for the $38 Dine Out menu. Another reason why VanEats happens to be the better deal.

Fruit Plate (vegan dessert)

I encouraged Peanut Crumpet to ask if the restaurant could subsidize some sort of vegan option for dessert. Our waitress was prompt to check on the request for us and came back offering a Fresh Fruit Plate. It wasn't anything spectacular but the act of accommodating dietary restrictions contributes to the restaurant's good service.

Our waitress for the night was fabulous! Always with a smile, her service was cheerful, helpful, and efficient throughout the three and a half hours we spent occupying that table. She periodically came to ask how our food was, if we wanted anything else, and to come refill our water. As I was describing the menu to The Clumsy One sitting next to me, she joked about how I knew the menu inside and out.  "On Urbanspoon?" she asked. Yup, I've seen like all the other blog posts on the Mosaic Harvest menu. We made sure to leave her an appropriate amount of tips for her great service. I probably should've combined the amount into bills instead of leaving a pile of loonies and toonies... Sorry!

VanEats passes for this particular menu are still available on their website. They can be redeemed up until end of February. For $27, this is a better deal than Dine Out Vancouver!




Love from Coconut Crumpet & Co.

Date Sweetened Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Date Sweetened Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie, one of my favourite desserts. As seen from my various other pumpkin recipes, I am quite fond of gourds. Pumpkin pie is already one of the healthiest pie choices available, even the ones from the supermarket aren't terribly bad. But of course, homemade is better. And naturally sweetened ones even more. 

Don't mind the little burnt blotches along the crust; that's filling I got on there :P

Every year, I attempt a pumpkin pie. Usually it is the hard crust that my family complains about. I've tried traditional full-of-butter pie crusts to super fast olive oil pie crusts, but they just never worked out as advertised. Finally I experimented with making pie crust in the food processor (and using coconut oil!) and discovered the perfect pie crust. Flaky, tender, and delicious even on its own.
 
At Thanksgiving early this year, I made a pumpkin pie that was covered in cracks and wasn't sweet enough. Note to self: a quarter cup of honey isn't enough for an entire pie. Pumpkin pie filling isn't difficult to make, in fact it's pretty fail proof. But making one that isn't laden with refined sugars and one that is crack-free is the challenge. I think I have found the solution!

Date Sweetened Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Unlike most pumpkin pies that are sweetened with granulated or brown sugar, this pie is sweetened with date paste. Dates are fat free 'jewels of the dessert' that are a great source of fibre, iron, and potassium. Fibre keeps your intestines clean and happy, iron is especially important to incorporate into women's diets, and potassium is an energizer! Eat a few dates before exercising for a boost of energy. They also double up as a post-work out snack. When my mom first joined hot yoga, her instructor told them to eat a banana (which also has high amounts of potassium) to re-energize the body after sweating buckets. Yes dates are really carb heavy because of the sugar content, but they are very nutritious and make for a great dessert too! Medjool dates are the sweetest, largest, and plumpest variety; I used them in this recipe to make the date paste. Date paste can easily be made at home using dates and water. Blend blend blend away until the texture resembles that of pumpkin puree. If you have any leftover date paste, use it up in a batch of Healthy Carrot Morning Glory Muffins! 
 
Eggs are not part of this recipe, as this pie is vegan. Having egg whites in a pumpkin pie filling may contribute to surface cracks because the proteins in the egg whites will shrink and pull apart as the pie cools, leaving valleys and canyons in the middle of the pie. To combat this problem (as well as make it vegan), cornstarch is used as the thickener. Without a thickener, one would be left with a pile of mashed pumpkin instead of a 'custard'. This recipe of pumpkin 'custard' does not rise at all during baking, which also reduces the risk for cracking. As a heads up, the filling pulls away from the sides just a little bit as it cools. Other than that, the surface of the pie remains crack-free. 

Date Sweetened Vegan Pumpkin Pie

In my photos, the pie looks pretty short. I would prefer the filling to reach the top for cosmetic purposes. Maybe my pie pan is just too deep..? I may add half a recipe more of the filling the next time I make this. Taste-wise, I have no complaints. The excess crust on the top makes for a delicious 'cookie' to munch on! My vegan pie crust is fragrant from coconut oil, flaky, and crunchy and makes for the perfect vessel to spread the pumpkin filling on. The way I like to eat my pumpkin pie probably sounds ridiculous, but hey. Don't judge. Just make the pie and taste for yourself ;)

This pie is essentially guilt-free. It's pretty much just dates, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and flour. I am not ashamed to say that I've eaten this pie for breakfast on several occasions. This is how I like to get my fruit and vegetable intake.

Find the healthiest vegan pumpkin pie that is crack-free after the cut!

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirled Mini Cheesecakes with a Spiced Graham Crust

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirled Mini Cheesecakes with a Spiced Graham Crust

Another belated post...my apologizes we've been rather absent on the blog. The days are flying by faster than I can bake everything on my autumn bake-list. Since squash is the flavour of autumn, I wanted to incorporate pumpkin into the Halloween treats shared with Fat Rats. And everyone likes cheesecake right? I beat The Clumsy One at making these, mwahahaha~

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirled Mini Cheesecakes with a Spiced Graham Crust

-Insert ranting here- 

I actually put that in my draft... but there isn't much on my mind today, so you're in luck! Reduced amount of nonsense in this post.

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirled Mini Cheesecakes with a Spiced Graham Crust

The spiced graham crust can be substituted with gingersnap cookies, as that is what I was aiming to copy. The hint of extra spices amps up the volume of the spices already in the cheesecake batter. I admit, the chocolate swirl doesn't do much for the cake, other than make it look prettier. Feel free to leave the extra step out if it is going to be topped with whipped cream (coconut whipped cream, anyone?) or decorated with other methods. Either way, it'll be sure to impress and satisfy~

The gradual cooling of cheesecake is a vital part of the procedure, especially when making larger sizes. I still experienced a little bit of cracking on these mini cheesecakes and felt that they were just a tinge on the over-cooked side. If that is a concern for you, stop the oven about two minutes earlier and begin the process of cooling.

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirled Mini Cheesecakes with a Spiced Graham Crust

Yield: 12 muffin-sized cheesecakes

Ingredients

For the crust

• 5 graham crackers (the long rectangular shaped ones)
• A pinch each of ground ginger and nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

For the filling

• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature (low fat is okay) 
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp each of ground ginger and nutmeg
• 1 egg
• ½ vanilla
• 2 tsp coconut milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a standard muffin pan with twelve paper liners.
2. Blitz your graham crackers in a food processor to make crumbs. Add the spices and pulse a few times to combine. Add the melted coconut oil to the crumbs and mix until a wet sand texture is achieved. 
3. Press 2 to 3 tsp of the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of each paper liner, I recommend using the back of a small spoon.
4. Bake crust in the preheated oven for 4 minutes.
5. In a mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and brown sugar together until homogenous and fluffy.
6. Add the pumpkin puree and spices, mix until smooth. 
7. Add egg, vanilla, and coconut milk and mix again until smooth.
8. Reserve about 3 tbsp of the cheesecake batter in a separate bowl. Add cocoa powder to the reserved batter. Set aside.
9. Divide pumpkin cheesecake batter evenly between liners. Place dollops of the chocolate cheesecake batter on top and swirl with a toothpick.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. When done, prop the oven door open slightly and allow cheesecakes to cool in the oven for about 10 minutes. The cool completely on the counter in the pan before chilling in the fridge. Bringing the cheesecakes gradually to room temperature will prevent cracking. 
11. Once completely cooled, store in refrigerator. They last for quite a while, around a week or two?

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Pumpkin Oatmeal: The Ultimate Autumn Breakfast

The yellow, orange, and red foliage that bring the needed pops of colours during a gloomy, rainy day and that shine vibrantly in the shining sun. Ahhhh, autumn.. 'tis the season to incorporate pumpkin into every recipe possible. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin latte, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin oatmeal. Today I will share with you one of the warmest, coziest, most-autumn-y breakfast one could possibly enjoy on a chilly morning. Not to mention it's extremely healthy, full of wholesome ingredients and no refined sugars of any sort.

The dry ingredients: oats + cinnamon

The trick to sweetening this oatmeal without adding granulated or brown sugar, or even honey, is the 'melted banana trick'. After I discovered this creative natural sweetener from Chocolate Covered Katie (who's recipes I adore), I will refuse to make oatmeal without a spotted banana lying around. I don't use the microwave but instead caramelize it (or cook it, if I'm impatient) in my pot before adding the rest of the wet ingredients. It adds so much sweetness and flavour, totally brings a plain bowl of oatmeal to the next level.

A bowl of oatmeal is the perfect breakfast to kick start the day. Oats provide long-lasting energy and are digested slowly, therefore keeping you fuller for longer. This particular recipe has a whole serving of fruits and vegetables in it! Cellulose (aka fibre) keeps the digestive tract squeaky clean! The warmth also energizes the body on a cold morning, or any morning really. Contrary to what I often read on the Internet, cold food is actually not a good way to start the day. Cold food takes away the body's energy, because the body uses up it's energy to warm the food it is ingesting. That's probably why diet articles always encourage dieters to chug down an ice cold glass of water right after getting up. Being raised in a Chinese family, my mom always frowns at me when I pour a ice cold glass of milk into my cereal. But I really have a thing against warm and soggy cereal, it's gross. So, if I am in need of a hot breakfast (that isn't pancakes or something with eggs), oatmeal satisfies.

This recipe can be customized to your liking; feel free to adjust amounts and add or omit items to suit your taste buds. I'm more of a chunky oatmeal kinda gal, so my liquid to oats ratio is a tad lower. Aaaand I love cinnamon, so a heaping teaspoon of that for good measure.

Hot bowl of Pumpkin Oatmeal

Using quick oats is the way to go, because if an empty stomach screaming for breakfast makes you cranky like me, then waiting more than five minutes for food isn't going to cut it. Measure out dry ingredients in the bowl you plan to eat out of, dunk all wet stuff into a small pot, boil, mix, boil eat. Easy and quick. Okay, enough with my meaningless mumble jumble. Here's the recipeeeee!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Recipe by Coconut Crumpet

Serves 1 

Ingredients

• ½ ripe banana (the riper the better!)
• ¼ quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup milk
• Splash of vanilla

Extras

• 1 tbsp nut butter – add to pot with wet ingredients
• Yogurt – stir in at the end; flavoured yogurts add extra sweetness
• Chopped toasted nuts – for topping
• Honey – extra sweetness

Directions

1. In a small saucepan or pot, mash ripe banana into a puree. Cook over medium heat until sizzling and 'breathing'.
2. In a small bowl, combine oats and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Once banana is caramelized or cooked, add milk, pumpkin, vanilla, and any other wet ingredients you wish you add in. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil.
4. Once wet ingredients have come to a boil, add dry ingredients and stir. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, or according to package directions. 
5. Serve hot with a splash of milk, top with something crunchy, or drizzle more nut butter or honey on top. Dig in!

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Aren't my Piglet and Eeyore purple pajamas the best? :P

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups with Corn Puree & Barlett Pears

Autumn brings about squash and gourds season! I began my butternut squash marathon by using a leftover sheet of fresh lasagna pasta and created these beautiful pinwheels. Think of it like a hot and cooked version of a lunch wrap. They are so easy to put together and the possibilities of filling combinations are endless. Plus, these roll-ups look super impressive, even if I must say so myself.

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups with Corn Puree & Barlett Pears

Inspiration for this dish came from this month's issue of Fresh Juice magazine, Super-Green Pinwheels with Minted Pea Puree. I really love reading this relatively new-on-the-market magazine by President's Choice. Especially since my mom gets every issue free in the mail because she holds their credit card. Anyways, how did I do with recreating this? Does it look similar? :D

The flavours are simple and speak for themselves. Roasting the squash gives it the warm and cozy feeling, the ricotta provides that creaminess we all know in a lasagna and the basil is there for a pungent yet fresh punch of flavour. All the flavours blend together and melts in your mouth. 

I chose to experiment with slices of squash in the roll-ups. Mainly because it would cook faster in the oven; I can get rather impatient on a hungry stomach. The result was a little drier than a normal lasagna is, missing the sauce and loads of cheese. In Fresh Juice's version, they pair their lasagna rolls with a pea puree. Using that idea, I made a simple 'sauce' of pureed cooked corn kernels (and cheated by using the canned variety) to add some necessary moisture. Very basic but did the job of adding moisture, flavour, and decoration well. Maybe next time I will puree the squash to fill the pasta; this will also help retain some moisture.

This entree (or potential appetizer?) is borderline crossing into the sweet territory. Butternut squash, corn, and barlett pear can all be used in sweet recipes. But being someone with a sweet-tooth, I have no problem with my dinner being a little sweeter than usual ;)

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups with Corn Puree & Barlett Pears

The colours on my plate look more summer-y than fall, but that just means this recipe can be altered according to what ingredients are fresh and in season. Switch up the fillings and the herbs, there are bound to be tons of delicious combinations out there!

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups with Corn Puree & Barlett Pears

Inspired by Fresh Juice

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of fresh lasagna
• about ⅛ of a small butternut squash
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
• Pink Himalayan sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• ½ fresh barlett pear
• ½ cup of corn niblets, canned, fresh or frozen
• ¼ cup ricotta cheese (low fat is okay)
• about 6 basil leaves, chiffonaded + mini ones for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Peel butternut squash skin off with a vegetable peeler. De-seed and cut into paper-thin slices.
3. Toss squash slices with melted coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread squash in a single layer (or as best you can) onto prepared baking sheet and roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Avoid over-baking and turning them into chips!
4. Meanwhile, in a flat frying pan, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil. Cook lasagna sheet for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and place on an oiled or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl or custard cup, mix together ricotta and chiffonaded basil. Spread onto cooked lasagna sheet, leaving a 3 inch boarder on one of the shorter ends. This will help seal the pasta later. 
6. Arrange roasted squash slices over ricotta cheese and roll lasagna up tightly (unlike me) like a sushi roll. Cut into 6 or 8 equal pieces with a sharp knife.
7. Place lasagna roll-ups cut-side up on the same baking sheet and bake at the same temperature (400°F) for 20 minutes.
8. While roll-ups are baking, slice pear into paper-thin pieces and arrange onto serving plate. The left-over slices of squash can be used to decorate too!
9. In a food chopper or processor, puree cooked corn niblets until mostly smooth. Spoon over pear, or use for desired decoration.
10. Once finished, plate baked lasagna roll-ups and garnish with a few whole corn niblets and some mini basil leaves. 

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡